Gut Reaction: Week 8 - Broncos vs Saints

Tonight, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning were supposed to throw for a combined 600 passing yards.

Manning held up his end of the bargain--and it only took him three quarters.

The Broncos defense didn't get the memo, however. Although Brees wasn't sacked a lot, he felt more heat than a Louisiana strip club.

The player of the game was undoubtedly Wesley Woodyard. On the night, he had nine tackles, four assists, two passes defensed, one forced fumble, one sack, and an interception.

That's scary good, and right in time for Halloween.

And right in time for the Broncos to give the league nightmares.

The Positives

1. As long as the Saints were content to play two safeties high, the Broncos (read Peyton Manning) were going to maul them in the running game. As soon as they brought one of the safeties into the box, the Broncos threw the ball. Early in the game, it wasn't much more complicated than that, other than a few amazing catches by Demaryius Thomas and Willis McGahee. Speaking of Manning, he gave a clinic tonight in reading progressions and shuffling in the pocket as usual (along with 300+ yards of passing and his customary three TDs). We were talking about this in our chat during the game, but if Kyle Orton could have ever learned to shuffle his feet half as well as Manning, his time in Denver would have been a lot different.

2. Willis McGahee ran like an ogre tonight (122 yards). How do ogres run? Hell if I know, but it's close to Halloween, so I had to come up with something (Frankenstein can't run). As an added bonus, Mitch Unrein dressed up as a fullback in the jumbo package. Scary? Yeah, for the the Saints.

3. I hate to agree with Jeff "The Passion Of The" Legwold, but Von Miller as the Defensive Player of the Year is not a crazy thought. This year Miller is a complete player who can cover when needed. One of the best plays of the game came when the Saints tried to crack back on Miller only to discover Von is a ninja.

4. Chris Harris continues to take advantage of the opportunity he's getting in Tracy Porter's abscence. Also, he makes me look like a genius for touting his starting potential for the last two seasons. Outside of Wes Welker, Harris has done everything the Broncos have asked, and he's done it at a high level.

5. Meanwhile, Woodyard is making it exceedingly difficult on the Broncos when D.J. Williams comes back. I can't see how you can take Woodyard off the field. If you simply must play D.J., I guess you put him at the Mike. The other option, use Williams only on passing downs and in nickel and dime situations.

6. Orlando Franklin could block a freight train in the running game. Pass blocking--well, that's another story; further, we're scared to say anything negative. He'd kill you. The guy who plays at the other end of the line from him, some guy named Ryan Clady, completely dominated both facets, all night long. For good measure, Chris Kuper, Zane Beadles, and Dan Koppen(hagen) were solid to round out the unit. If you've not seen Koppen making line calls, pay attention. It's happening, people.

7. Imagine what will happen when Demaryius Thomas becomes above average at running routes. He won't just be good, he'll be one of the top three wide receivers in the game. And before you start whitening Eric Decker by saying he's the Broncos' possession receiver, take a look a his routes tonight. They weren't routes made for a possession guy.

8. Derek Wolfe has been taking a little heat from fans lately for some of his grades over at ProFootball Focus, but it's not like he's getting worse as the season progresses. I think he put better pressure on Brees tonight than any other Broncos defender.

9. Champ Bailey is so consistent, we tend to take him for granted. Consider the situation remedied. If you get the chance, watch how Bailey played Marques Colston out the outside and in man coverage--it's not just a lesson in coverage, but in geometry.

10. Jack Del Rio continues to get the most out of his psycho fronts. I'm not sure that it's as confusing as the results have shown over the last two games, but I'm not complaining, either. For what it's worth, Del Rio appears to be playing more and more man coverage as the season goes on, and up front, he's employing more stunts (thanks, Doc Bear!).

The Negatives

1. If you believe football is a momentum-based game, then the fuel for that momentum has to be the turnover. Willis McGahee's fumble in the first quarter took the Broncos' reality from 14-0 to 7-7 within the span of a minute.

2. I'm not writing this because I wanted the Broncos to draft Doug Martin, but I'm still waiting for that day when Ronnie Hillman takes my breath away with something spectacular. Knowshon Moreno may have made a few mistakes during his time as a Bronco, but the decision to continue to deactivate him so that Hillman gets some on-the-job training (see Legwold note below) is the wrong one. Yeah, I know. Hillman had a great run tonight, but the hole was five feet wide.

3. When Peyton Manning hit his hand on the defender's helmet near the end of the first half, my breath did leave me. When I woke up a few minutes later in a puddle of my own spit, Manning was still in the game, so I just blacked out the bloody image of his thumb.

4. The bad news? The Broncos had to cover Darren Sproles with their linebackers tonight. The good news? A.J. Smith arrogantly let Sproles leave San Diego (as "The Head" usually does).

5. Shannon Sharpe said earlier today he believes the Broncos will run the table from here on out. Quick, grab a Raiders fan by the hair and knock on wood.

6. Virgil Green is a bust--just kidding. I had to see if you were paying attention. For the record, Green was drafted in the seventh round, and tonight, that seventh-round draft pick had three catches for 44 yards.

7. Trindon Holliday is a card-carrying member of the Association for Leprechauns (AFL). I hate Leprechauns. Otherwise, he's dangerous when he holds onto the ball.

8. Irrelevant stat of the night: The Broncos were only 5 for 12 on 3rd downs.

9. Cris Collinsworth just said, "You are what your record says you are." If that's not bad enough, he attributed the source as John Madden--you know, the guy on the video games, kids (and the original Fat Man).

10. I'm dressing as a streaker for Halloween, so check your police blotter if you live in the Denver area that night.

The Who The Heck Knows

1. The San Diego Chargers looked like one of the worst cold-weather teams in the league, which they are. Phil Rivers (and his porn stache) only managed a whopping six points in their loss, giving the Broncos a lead in the division before they even set foot on Sports Authority Field. Perhaps the Chargers couldn't use their special towels today. Here's someone who thinks the Chargers are even worse than I do.

2. The Kansas City Chiefs continue their descent into a place only known as Pioliville. Former Broncos quarterback Brady Quinn barely got a sniff as a starter before his third drive of the game ended with the proverbial "head injury." Don't look now, but the Raiders are tied with the Chargers at 3-4. Since the Broncos have beaten both the Raiders and Chargers and are now 4-3, you can go ahead and stretch that one-game lead a little farther.

3. During the Chiefs-Raiders game, I heard the Wisdom of Solomon (Wilcots): "The problem with turnovers is that you don't get to finish your drives." True, and the problem with losing is that you don't get to win.

4. As expected, pressure continues to mount for Rex Ryan and the Jets to give the Ultimate Teammate (UT™) a chance to play quarterback. As I tuned in and out of the early games this afternoon, I managed to listen to the Spanish-language broadcast of the Jets-Dolphins contest. In the second half the chants for the UT™ in the stadium grew ever louder and ever more frequent. I predicted Mark Sanchez would last about eight games before being replaced. That timetable seems about right--unless, of course, Rex is dead set against using the UT™. But why? The UT™, for his part, had just two yards rushing and a controversial role on a blocked punt that resulted in a touchdown for the Dolphins.

5. Tony Carter on if he watched football during the bye week: "There's nothing else on T.V. So I watch football." Tony, two words, my friend--Boardwalk Empire.

6. As usual, Bob Costas tried to analyze a football move (the signing of Peyton Manning) like he was dissecting hiddening meanings in a post-modern novel.

7. Legwold said the decision to sit Tracy Porter is still a precautionary one--in other words, the Broncos want to make absolutely certain there's nothing wrong with Porter before they let him play another game. Can't argue with that move.

8. I once gave Ted Sundquist a lesson in statistics--it looks like he didn't learn anything I taught him.

9. None of the Broncos' players thanked God or Jesus Christ in their post-game interview with Michelle Tafoya, and I for one am starting to miss it just a little. It's almost like Jesus doesn't care about the scores of these games or something. Later, I'll say a little prayer that everyone plays the Broncos with their nickel package all night long like the Saints did tonight. Then Willis McGahee becomes an Orange and Blue god.

10. For those of you who are going to be impacted by Hurricane Sandy, please play it safe. We need your clicks too much to lose you as a reader care too much about you. In all seriousness, don't do what your friend TJ would do--listen to the authorities.

Good points HR. I think that having both the DBs that have come along as well as quicker and faster LBs are making quite an impact.

In defending the run game - IMO - those fast LBs are going to make a lot of tackles - and some of them for losses.

Posted by BlackKnigh on 2012-10-30 03:17:28

The difference between the 97-98 team and this one is the 97 version didnt have a specimen that is DeMaryius Thomas. Not to slight Eddie Mac and his 6'5" frame but he didn't have the body composition that Bay Bay has.Denver hasn't a WR the likes of Thomas since well Brandon Marshall.Hopefully Thomas keeps the good attitude he has.

Posted by Charlie Kirkpatrick on 2012-10-29 18:58:28

I think Decker is the Reggie Wayne of this offense. A solid possession guy who can take it to the house. To say Thomas could be a Marvin Harrison is saying a lot though. No one could run routes like Harrison but then Harrison doesnt have the physical tools and size that Thomas has.

On a side note did it look like Thomas was hurt last night or exhausted? Every time the camera zoomed in on him I was worried that he was coming out of the game(yes selfishly he is on my fantasy team) and then he would be right back out there the next play.

Decker and Thomas might not be the best pair of wideouts in the league......yet, but they are the best blocking pair. Did you see that block that Thomas put on Jabari Greer that sprung McGahee for 10 more yards?We havent seen a blocking WR like that since the days of Ed McCaffrey

Posted by Charlie Kirkpatrick on 2012-10-29 18:48:34

I agree. Parcells said that because he was tired of hearing people say crap like "that's not a 4-8 team" about some underachieving club that the media spent the whole off-season hyping. For the most part, it's true and he didn't tell everybody to repeat it 10,000 times.

Posted by Yahmule on 2012-10-29 15:14:02

I think that saying gets a bad rap - you are what your record says you are at that moment, but you can also improve (or get worse) quickly, thus going from 9-7 to a Super Bowl win. Every week you have a chance to change what you are.

Posted by billyricky on 2012-10-29 14:45:38

I think he's one of those players who runs so easily that he looks "laconic" but really isn't. He's just smooth, and fast.

Posted by billyricky on 2012-10-29 14:39:19

I think you'd lose that wager - the Broncos' next pick was about 18 picks later.

Posted by billyricky on 2012-10-29 14:34:24

No honorable mention for Vickerson??

Posted by NateDogg911 on 2012-10-29 13:24:51

Yeah, but it sells, so they'll continue to say it.

Posted by John Tomasik on 2012-10-29 12:07:09

Why can't we keep Hillman, Moreno and McGahee and let Ball where sweats? Still unimpressed.

Posted by Truman Jensen on 2012-10-29 11:38:26

I know the Saints have one of the worst defenses in the NFL (if not the worst, period) but these are the games in which your offense should be able to dictate the pace and that was the case tonight. Aside from a couple of fumbles, the Broncos dictated the pace of the game.

As for the defense, it's nice to see how things are coming together. The stat line may show just one sack but what it doesn't reflect is how often the Broncos were able to get pressure, close the pocket and keep Brees from finding his rhythm. I think a lot of our players are finding their groove and proper adjustments have been made in the lineup. The combo of Keith Brooking and Danny Trevathan has done much to make up for what Joe Mays lacked and Wesley Woodyard impressed me with his coverage last night -- how many times was he the first guy there when Brees dumped it off to Darren Sproles?

Regarding Hillman, I see more instances of him being willing to run downhill, but he just needs to learn to be a "one cut and go" back. He still struggles with pass protection, which is really the only reason why you really want Knowshon Moreno active. Perhaps the Broncos need to think more about having four RBs active for game day rather than having players at other positions active -- I noticed they had all wideouts active last night. A better idea might be to leave Matthew Willis or Andre Caldwell inactive instead of Moreno, because the wideouts we have are getting it done, and now we see Virgil Green stepping forward in that role.

And on the subject of Lance Ball: Never underestimate the importance of a guy to special teams. He may not be the guy you want running the ball but we don't always look closely at the roles players take on special teams. Having the right guy on special teams can, for example, make the difference between an opponent getting a big return and an opponent being bottled up with nowhere to go. And I think we've all seen how Ball has been the calming influence on Omar Bolden and his eagerness to return every kick... in fact, we sure could have used Ball on the one kick Omar tried returning. ;)

Posted by Bob on 2012-10-29 11:35:30

Great game and great comments all around this morning. I was going to wait 'till the lard to post but it looks like Sandy is blowing the lard around along with everything else.

First thing, I don't have cable and I live in VA so i rely on internet feeds each week. NBC's online stream was REAL impressive. It was a pleasure to watch the game that way. During commercials I could switch to end zone and sideline cameras and watch the team huddle and talk and make subs and it was pretty awesome. Good work NBC.

As for the team, this was the first game this year where the WHOLE team played well and played true complimentary football. That's what made this such a great game IMO. It's been said a few times above, but last night was as close to 98 as we have been since 98. A few points that really stuck out to me (in no particular order):

1) It looked like we got to run the "Manning Offense" (MO)all game long instead of waiting until the second half. I really hope Fox got to see that not only will we still run the ball in the MO, but we ran it more efficiently than we have all year long.

2) Furthering the running game talk, the whole team ran well. The offensive line was dominating the Saints front 7 all night. Koppen is really coming along well. Mcgahee is a beast. How many times last night did we see him get hit at one spot but not go down 'till at least 3 yards further downfield? As TJ says, McGahee falls out of bed for 3 yards. He was on fire last night. As for the Hillman discussion everyone is having, I have to agree with Herc and BlackKnigh above, Hillman is trying to dance too much, but he is making progress. To me the best run of the night was for 7 or 8 yards. He took the hand-off, made one cut and then BURST through the hole. Some defender hit his leg and he ended up going down, but on that particular play he made a very quick decision and he hit the hole so fast that Collinsworth said "Woah!". If Hillman can learn to trust himself and his line more and start running that way instead of trying to outrace people like he did in college, he will be a serious weapon. He excites me. Moreno who?

3) The defense! Holy cow are they looking good. They didn't have many sacks, but they were constantly applying pressure. It was really obvious that Brees could feel that he didn't have much time and it affected his abilities all night. Add to that the coverage, which was phenomenal, and what can opposing offenses do? To me the most exciting part of the defense right now is how many young players are stepping up and making significant impact. Obviously Von is a beast, but Wolfe is playing HIS ROLE at a really high level. But mostly the way that Harris, Carter and Moore are starting to become really good at their jobs. I don't remember the last time that I felt our defensive backfield was so solid. And that's without Porter!

4) This team is starting to gel and put it all together. They are fixing the stupid mistakes and are poised to truly become an "Elite" team in the AFC. Collinsworth said last night "This is a different team than the one we saw in Pittsburgh." The team is moving forward quickly. What more can you ask for? Denver is a force to be reckoned with and it is VERY exciting.

Posted by EastCoastBronco7 on 2012-10-29 11:13:24

"You are what your record says you are."

Ok 2011 Giants, you are 9-7. End of story. Stop waving that Super Bowl trophy around.

What a stupid saying.

Posted by A R on 2012-10-29 10:51:40

I think the defense got a bit of a bad rap this year, particularly in the losses. No doubt there are some problem areas (sorry #51), but I think the turnovers by the offense made the defense look worse than it really is. Ya' keep giving your opposition the ball inside their 40, and bad things happen quickly. The defense yesterday stood up well to a very good offense, and that showed much more to me than what the offense accomplished yesterday against a lousy defense (although this offense can run up points against better defenses).

Regardless, this is a strong team all around. Better than I imagined, in fact. I was hoping for 10 wins, and it's quite possible that 12 wins or maybe even 13 aren't out of the question.

Next victim: Cincinnati.

Posted by John Tomasik on 2012-10-29 10:24:42

I think as has been said before....our defense excels when we can make a team one dimensional. Having PMFM is going to help that because our offense is only going to get better and force teams to only throw the ball. I really like this team, this is the closest to 1998 we have seen since 1998.

Posted by 46n2ahead on 2012-10-29 10:21:39

You know it was a solid victory when TJ has to improvise on three of the negatives...

Posted by OutOfYourElement on 2012-10-29 10:20:22

I read on twitter that Bunkley didn't dress so they could activate an extra DB, since they were expecting the Broncos to throw a bunch.

Posted by Kaleb Harvey on 2012-10-29 10:15:12

TJ, great stuff as usual and I really enjoy your writing. Got the day off thanks to Shandy. I so have to pile on a little. You never know if a player is going to develop, but Hillman seems to be developing well. If his early games were Ds, this game was probably a C or a low B. In a few weeks we may see some A level work, and with an entire season and second off season we may see A level work every week next year. Again, you never know if a player is going to continue to develop, but I don't see any reason to think he won't. Even TD's timing was off his rookie year, and you could see noticeable improvement in his second year. TD had a much better OL in front of him too. I see this game as a promising sign of things to come. Overall, I am excited to see two new, young weapons (Green and Hillman) being gradually and apparently successfully integrated into the arsenal. I do think that Moreno could be valuable in certain situations. For instance, the swing pass out of the backfield that McGahee caught to get Denver out of the end zone. I think that Moreno would have taken that to the house. While I am on it, it seemed like Manning wasn't even looking at the back in passing situations. I don't know if it is his trust in Hillman or he was just being aggressive, but it seems like there were a few check downs that he didn't take that probably would have kept drives going and may have gone for big gains. Of course, Manning knows a heckuva a lot more about what he is doing than I do. It is so refreshing to have a good offensive team again.

Posted by Broncos777 on 2012-10-29 09:56:40

Another positive: the coverage in general. Brees was truly frustrated on multiple occasions because he couldn't find anyone to throw to and knew the heat was coming. A very impressive defensive effort!

Posted by SteveS on 2012-10-29 09:53:03

Tthe thing that stood out to me last night is that this is a defense that's damn hard to pass the ball on. If you put a bunch of guys out in the pattern, they'll pressure your QB all night long. If you keep guys in to help along the O-line, they've got guys who can cover. There really wasn't much open for Brees all night long, and the quick hitting passing game was effectively shut down. If the Saints could have run on the Bronco's D, it might have been different. But you simply can't get one-dimensional on this Defense, it's not going to work. We've talked on this site about building a a team that can use the passing game to put point on the board efficiently and defend the pass, and that's exactly what we're seeing now.

Posted by Hercules_Rockefeller on 2012-10-29 09:51:07

Seems to me he heads for the sidelines too quick. That size, with just a safety to beat? I'd roll the dice and mix it up.

Posted by OutOfYourElement on 2012-10-29 09:48:53

I think Hilllman's problems are almost completely decision making. He's got that instinct to cut one too many times, or try to outrun the D to the edge, and that's not going to fly in the NFL. And when he does cut it back inside, he's hesitating just a half step too long. A BlackKnigh mentions, if he can fix those habits he's got plenty of potential. I think that's why the coaching staff keeping putting him in the games; the hope is the light comes on like it did for Portis, and if / when it does, it'll be fun to watch him develop.

Posted by Hercules_Rockefeller on 2012-10-29 09:42:52

Every team needs a 3rd and long halfback draw specialist!

Posted by Hercules_Rockefeller on 2012-10-29 09:38:22

I was at the game, and in person I tend to notice the physical differences between players a bit more. I don't know if it's the perspective or what, but it's one of those things that standout out to me a little more clearly than on the TV. when he jumped over that guy It really caught my attention, becusae you don't usually see a big guy move like that. He could really develop into quite a weapon if he keeps making moves like that (and keeps his hands out of the medicine cabinet).

Posted by Hercules_Rockefeller on 2012-10-29 09:36:11

Maybe Bunkley sat out because he's only contributed 11 tackles in six games to the Saints historically bad defense. They've allowed 170 rushing yards a game and five yards a carry. Perhaps after getting paid this off season he's reverted back to the underachiever he had been for the majority of his NFL career. It might be time to thank John Elway again.

Posted by Yahmule on 2012-10-29 09:35:02

Terry Bradshaw picked the Saints to win. Said it twice. Nyuck, nyuck.Anyway, I could say a lot about the game, but TJ and y'all have already said it.The sun is rising in Colorado (literally and figuratively) and it's a beautiful blue and orange.Thank you, John Elway.

Posted by bradley on 2012-10-29 09:30:05

I think you guys need to go rewatch the game and pay attention to Hillman. 14 carries 86 yards 6.1 average although he did have a long run of 31 yards the exciting thing is that he got past (for this game) those stupid two yard down with first contact runs. He looked so much better in this game it's not even funny. He is not a negative, he does not need to be benched. He does need to keep doing it though, I mean it is just one game you. You can't say he's turned the corner yet.

Posted by Fan in Exile on 2012-10-29 08:59:36

Best kneeldown of the year.

Posted by broncosmontana on 2012-10-29 08:58:48

ivanthenotsobadBunkley wasn't listed on the injury report, but he didn't dress for the game, either. No word was forthcoming as to why. I had wondered too.

Posted by Doc Bear on 2012-10-29 08:56:30

D. Thomas is such a laconic figure off the field and sometimes it seems, on it as well. However, I'm very impressed with his blocking and in particular, his ability to strong-arm (strong-hand?) the ball in traffic.

Posted by SteveS on 2012-10-29 07:41:45

Bunkley's hurt - thus did not play.

Posted by SteveS on 2012-10-29 07:38:58

I thought it interesting that Bunkley did not start for NO and I never heard his name mentioned during the game.I also think the way the offense played, even though NO is a weak defense, demonstrated that there is developing rhythm and communication. The OL seems more in sync and the addition of Kuper was IMO noticeable. Though I thought Walton was much improved and improving, Koppen seems to be meshing pretty well.DTs routes are improving markedly. He's IMO a potential superstar (I remember where some on this site thought he was a bust).And McGahee had a very good day. Why would we want to use a pick on someone who would simply be his back-up. I don't get the Martin love. He's (and we're) better where he is. And we've had the discussion about Wolfe before. Again, those who think that we could have gotten him in the second round are dreaming. While the pundits had him rater somewhere in the middle to late second round, several coaches had him rated in the middle to late first round. He's IMO a much more valuable player for the Broncos then a back-up to McGahee would have been.I also think Moreno hits the hole quicker than Hillman does and is a better blocker and receiver.However, Moreno danced a lot at first, had to learn how to block and to catch the ball. And Hillman is noticeably quicker. So I'm willing to be patient, though IMO Moreno's current value has been reduced to someone available when the inevitable injury bug hits the RBs.And I'm loving the way the defense seems to be coming together and developing a bunch of young players (Harris, Carter, Trevathan, Moore and, of course, Wolfe. I thought they played well against one of the better offenses in the league.

Posted by ivanthenotsobad on 2012-10-29 07:16:37

Agree with you on Woodyard, his best game this and possibly any season. This was a poor defense though and might not tell us a lot more about the Broncos offense but this is a seriously good passing offense and shows the Broncos defense are getting better and better.One real issue I have with your piece is referring to the youngest player in the league, who had injuries in the off season and rushed for 81 yards off 14 carries as a negative. If you cant find a negative dont make one up because you wished someone else was drafted. Yes it was a poor defense yes he had holes open up for him so who the heck knows what we have but a negative, come on.My negative to be harsh is that they still dont try and batter the ball down enough and it doesnt seem they are looking for it either. One opportunity to do this was on the drive which set up their first TD.

Posted by Steve Williams on 2012-10-29 06:46:36

Please don't remind me that we could have had Doug Martin with the 31st pick... I'm still a little sore about that. We would have been able to get Martin in the first and still get Wolfe in the second, I'd wager, but oh well... c'est la vie n'est pas?

Posted by Matthew Robert Nalei Fries on 2012-10-29 06:08:12

The great thing about a bad defense is it lets your offensive guys shine and get some confidence. The bad thing about a bad defense is it lets your offensive guys shine and get some confidence. Sorry...I was trying to follow in Wilcots steps, but I just don't think I get it.

I'm not so sure why Moreno should get the snaps over Hillman. Moreno had his chance to succeed and couldn't seem to do it. Hillman needs some time at the position to see if he can put his game together.

'The Negatives' #10 .....*shivers*

Posted by John Tomasik on 2012-10-29 05:50:33

I remember something that Bobby Turner said about Clinton Portis when he was a rookie. He said that at first he wanted to burn it around the end. When he "got it" that he needed to cut and burst thru a hole - he became a much better back. Hillman is still learning.

I liked what I saw tonight.

Posted by BlackKnigh on 2012-10-29 02:12:30

special teams, apparently.

Posted by tunesmith on 2012-10-29 01:43:30

This game was a pleasure, almost from start to finish. Willis is a beast, but he needs to clean up those fumbles. DT, Decker ... and Virgil Green? Imagine if he emerges as a receiving threat. One quibble: I don't get the idea that KnowMo should get PT over Hillman. What exactly did he do tonight that Know could've improved upon?

On defense, it really was the WW show. He's played like a star the last few weeks, plain and simple. Harris, Carter, Moore ... this young secondary is coming together quickly. Add that to the pass rush, and watch out....

Posted by Royalwithcheese on 2012-10-29 01:39:26

I would be alright with activating Knowshon against Kansas City, seeing as how that's the only team he's been really impressive against in his completely underwhelming career. I would rather give Hillman some more chances to see if he can curb his instinct to run sideways all the time.

Virgil Green's emergence is very exciting. It's nice to have another big body to create matchup problems.

I happily embrace Shannon Sharpe's optimism. The swagger he brought to the team was always a positive factor in their success. I hope the Broncos get a chance to go on Revenge Tour II and line up against NE, HOU and ATL in the post season.

Posted by Yahmule on 2012-10-29 01:36:33

On two of his catches, Green broke tackles. On one he jumped right over a defender who was diving at his legs. Then I remembered how everyone talked about what a great athlete he was - now we've seen it.

Posted by billyricky on 2012-10-29 01:34:59

I don't understand how Lance Ball is active and Moreno isn't. As far as I can tell, Ball's only role in this offense is to take the handoff on 3rd and 20. He has never impressed me in any way during his entire time in Denver and seems to be completely mediocre at every aspect of the RB position. So why not a rotation of McGahee, Moreno, and Hillman?

Posted by Kawike on 2012-10-29 01:33:39

anyone else notice Clady stole Von's hipster glasses? B-)

Posted by colorado_kitten on 2012-10-29 01:31:47

About halfway through the fourth quarter, I realized why this game felt so familiar: this was vintage Denver Broncos football circa 1997-98. Like TJ said: Denver would use the run and short passes all day, until you tried to stop it. Then came the big play. Nothing felt huge or explosive...just brutally efficient, all day long.

The only difference: this D is nasty. Very nasty. The whole team keeps coming together, and we have a legit D-Player of the Year.

I love this.

Posted by Stu Kilzer on 2012-10-29 01:19:53

Great win tonight.

I agree with sitting Hillman for a game or 2. I think that the perspectivehe could garner might help him get his timing a little better. Bring back Moreno.

WW is simply amazing. He looks like he is playing bigger than he actually is. I am also impressed how Wolfe is improving his game.

I love seeing a 6'5" 255 lb guy like Virgil Green running with the ball - and running with authority. Having all those big receivers is really tough on the DBs.

Thanks TJ. Nice piece of work.

Posted by BlackKnigh on 2012-10-29 01:16:49

His hand-offs were beautiful to watch. =D

Posted by Stu Kilzer on 2012-10-29 01:10:43

"Woodyard is making it exceedingly difficult on the Broncos when D.J. Williams comes back." -- Indeed, and we can all agree that this can be filed under "good problem to have," eh? Brooking seems to mostly be holding up pretty well too, and Trevathan is improving every game. If DJ comes back and plays well enough to earn PT anyway, then it's a good sign imho.

As for Hillman, I agree, though I still like the guy's potential and think he'll keep getting better too. But I'm not down on Knowshon anyway, like some were, and don't see why he isn't still a better option as a change of pace guy right now over Hillman. If people are worried about fumbles, well, I love Willis but... this has been an issue with him. And Hillman almost lost a fumble today, too.

But... these are small things and the team overall played it's best game outside of the Oakland one, on all three facets of the game tonight.

Posted by underdog on 2012-10-29 01:08:17

So, I missed nothing, is what you're saying? ;) Not sure why I didn't expect that, given the score of course they weren't gonna throw. Silly me. Bet he looked great handing off though!